Lawrence Prince

Dutch Pirate

Born: Unknown

Died: Unknown

Originally a native of Amsterdam, Captain Prince made his way to the West Indies in search of the fabled treasures of the New World. Hearing stories of easy takings in South America, he sailed from Port Royal, Jamaica to Colombia in 1670.

His plan was a daring one: To raid the town of Mompos, which was over 150 miles inland and requiring a treachorous trip up the Magdalena River.

Upon their arrival they discovered that a new fort had been constructed on an island river, and the pirates were driven back with cannon fire. However, Captain Prince was determined not to return to Port Royal empty handed so in August he sailed again for Nicaragua and this time was successful in an almost identical scheme. He sailed up the San Juan River, captured the fort and took canoes up to Lake Nicaragua where they pillaged the wealthy city of Granada.

The Spanish reports of the raid told of wild destruction and incredible violence by the invaders, including one account in which the Pirates purportedly sent the town the head of one of their priests in a basket along with a note saying that he would deal with the rest of the towns people in the same manner unless they paid the Pirates 70,000 pesos in ransom.

Considering that the city had been sacked very recently by Captain Henry Morgan and Captain John Morris in 1664, the city of Granada was only able to raise a small portion of the demanded ransom. His bluff having been called, Captain Prince returned to Port Royal.

Modyford, Governor of Jamaica, sent Captain Prince to join Morgan's Panamanian expedition. Morgan, seeing Prince to be a man of much spirit, made him third in command after himself and Captain Edward Collie. After the raid, the English government sent Thomas Lynch to Jamaica to arrest Modyford and Morgan for their piratical activities. Lynch, not having sufficient force to outright arrest Sir Henry Morgan, decided to try ingratiating himself to the pirates.

Captain Prince was made Lynch's lieutenant and under the governorship of Lynch thrived at Jamaica, having his own plantation.